N’Dranou denies eviction claims

PORT Moresby Metropolitan Superintendent Perou N’Dranou has clarified that he only enforces court decisions on evictions and does not authorise them.
He was responding to claims that he had authorised the eviction of a family living at Wildlife, 6-Mile on December 30.
“I do not give authority for eviction as I only implement what the court orders the police to do,” N’Dranou said.
Gasnier Paupi and his family were evicted from their house and claimed N’Dranou had ordered it.
N’Dranou said if the eviction notice bore his name, then it meant that the eviction was ordered by the court for police to implement.
He said the family should challenge the order in court.
He said reporters should confirm eviction stories with his office before publishing them as there could be cases of officers from other commands carrying out illegal evictions without his approval.
“Some people are using people outside our command to carry out evictions which is wrong. No officers outside of the NCD command is allowed to do eviction in the city. That includes Central, police headquarters, SSD and Bomana.”
N’Dranou also urged victims of eviction exercises to identify police officers and report to his office or a police station to confirm if the exercise was legal.
“I had made it clear to my officers when I started as the Metropolitan Superintendent that no one can do evictions unless it is authorised by the courts,” he said.
“The process begins when the court issued the order. It comes through my office and I give directions for implementation because if I don’t, then I will be in contempt of court.”